A Summer TESOL Program is Drawing Many Career Changers

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When Joy, a successful book
designer based outside of New York City, agreed to volunteer at a local
literacy center, she had no idea that she was taking the first step into a new
career. Most of her students were immigrants, and she soon found herself
interested in teaching English to new arrivals in her community. After several
years of volunteer work, Joy realized that she was teaching largely by
“instinct,” and that it was time to improve her skills and theoretical
knowledge. She chose to attend the summer intensive program in Teaching English
to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at Teachers College. Since then, Joy has
gone on to work at a local community college, create curriculum for immigrants
in New York City, and study for her MA in TESOL at Teachers College.

The 2013 Teachers College
TESOL certificate program will run for eight weeks, from June 24th
through August 16th. The program balances theory and practice, and prepares
graduates to teach English in a variety of settings, from language schools
abroad to community programs in the United States. Applications are still being accepted.

“While changes in the economy are forcing many of us
to rethink our career tracks, one thing has remained constant—the need to
communicate across the global community,” says Sarah Creider, Director of the
TESOL Certificate Program. “Learning to teach English to speakers of other
languages is one skill that will never go out of date. For those hoping to combine
work and travel, pursuing a lifelong interest in language and culture, or
seeking to give back to the community, a certificate can be a great, short-term
option.”

Creider says that applications to the program from
mid-life career changers are not uncommon. “Those who seek to change or
supplement their current careers can find unique opportunities when they add a
TESOL certificate to the experience of a full professional life.”

Students, who range in age from 22 to 72, also value
the opportunity to join the Columbia learning community.

Program graduates choose career paths as varied as
their backgrounds. Alumni have gone on to teach abroad, continue their graduate
studies in a TESOL MA program, develop curricula for immigrant day-laborers,
and start businesses teaching English to executives.

In the Teachers College TESOL
Summer Certificate program, classes include: